Self-cushioning wheel.



G. H. LANGTON.

SELF GUSHIONING WHEEL.

APPLIUATION FILED 0013.22, 190B.

Patented Jan.4,1910.

E y 'fa b 1 u UNiTED sTAfrEs PATENT omiten.

GEORGE HENRY LANGTON. 0F LOS ANGELES. CALIFORNIA.

SELF-CUSHTONING WHEEL.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I. Gizoncn HEXRr LANG- 'roN, a citizen of the United States. residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Self-Cushioning Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

In a previousjapplication of mine for improvement in wheelstiled August-10, 1908, Serial No. 447.880, I have shown and described a wheel in which compressed air is utilized to secure a cushioningr effect between the rim and tire, the hub being utilized for an air chamber, the spokes being sl-idable in cylinders Ain the hub and so connected to the tire that they are adapted to oscillate with the tire in all directions`except laterally. The compressed air which was utilized as a cushion was -introduced through a suitable valve, but in course of time the air would leak out and renewal of compressed air became necessary. which renewal of air was troublesome and consumed considerable time.

The main object of the present invention is to overcome that diiiiculty by providing means for automatically supplying 4air to the air chambers.

Further objects relate to improved details of construction as will be brought out in the following specification.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention and referring thereto: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wheel partly in section. Fig. 2 is across section on line z-g Fig. 1. Fig.- .3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the inner portion o and its cylinder.

1 designates the hub which has cast in'- tegrally therewith a series of radial 'cylinders 2.

3 designa-tes a brake drum.

a spoke el is the rim to which a'series of segment.

blocks 5 are fastened by rivets 6, as shown in Fig. 1.

The tire 8 is preferably a solid tire of rubber, although any form of tire may be used.

Two plate rings 10 are secured, as by riveti ing, to opposite sides of the segment blocks 5.- A (lished dust-guard 11 is secured to the hub- 1 by a nut 12, and its riml slidably bears againstthe face of the adjacent plate ring l0. Another dust-guard 11 is fastened by screws 13 to the opposite side of the wheel, `these dust-guards cover the interior parts of the wheel and rotect the same. The rims of the dust-guar s which are slidable on the Specification of Letters Patent. Appneatiun filed october 22. 190s.

Patented Jan. 1, 1910.

Serial No. 459.084. v

plate rings 10 have suiiicient pressure against the sanieto prevent the entrance of dust or dirt to the interior, at the same time permitting the rim to oscillate .with respect to the hub. or vice versa.

Each segment block 5 has a slot H formed i concentrically with the hub 1; and slidable in each cylinder 2 is a spoke 15 forming a plunger. The outer end of each spoke has a flattened end 16 which is received in a groove formed in the segment block 5,as clearly.

shown in Fig. 2, and rests against the bottom of the groovein the segment block, and a pin 17 in the end 1 6 of the'spoke en-` gages inthe slots 14 and is only'usedqto hold spokes in place without any bearing on pins as pressure comes on the end of the spoke. This forrn ofl connection permits the necessary `lateral movement of a spoke with re- V5 l spect toits segment blocks; which movement is necessary when a spoke 4is turning up or down with the wheel, not being either at the extreme top or bottom. This movement is necessary provided the loadis suf-.-

ficient to. produce an eccentricity between .the axley and rim or if the rim should, be

caused to shift eccentrically by passing over obstructions in the road. Manifest-ly, if the load is not suicient to produce eccentricity andif there .are few or noobstructions in the road there will be little or no deflection of the hub from the center, in which case there would be little or no sliding action o f pins 17 in slots 14.l l

On the inner end of each spoke 15 isa packing 18 which prevents the air from working out of the cylinder along the spoke 15. Inthe inner end of each cylinder 2 is an air inlet valve, shown in detail in Fig. 3, which comprises a sleeve 19 screwed in the lower end of thecylinder and having a valve seat 20 for a valve 21, Athe sleeve 19 4having air inlet orifices 23 to permitentrance of air into the cylinder when the valve is raised. vAir is admitted by a check valve I24 to the central chamber 25surrounding the hub 1. i

In the normal operation of the wheel the spokes Will lpartake of more or less reciprocation 4in their respective cylinders 2, whichl loo amount of reciprocation depends upon` the v eccentric.` movement of the rlm with respect to the hub and as a spoke' moves radially outward in' its cylinder the suction produced in the cylinder will causean inrush of air through the orifices 23 past the valve 2l, the latter opening automatically. Whenthe spoke moves radially inward it compresses the air which has thus entered, and this compression of air produces the cushioning action which prevents any shock bea ing imparted from the rim to the hub. In-

asrnuch as air is thus automatically replenished in the cylinders, the wheel does not require any attention and even though leakage of air should be considerable the automatic replenishing valves have such a great capacity that even a very great leakage would not interfere with the proper operation of the wheel. n

What I claim is:

A hubfa series of cylinders carried by the hub, a rim, a series of segment blocks secured to the rim, each segment block having a groove concentric with the rim and -cylinders,

, my hand at Los Angeles,`Ca1ifornia,

having curved slots in the sidewalls ,of the groove, said slots being also concentric with the rim, pistons slidable in the respective each iston having a squared end portion which 1s received in the groove invv the associated segment block, and theA end of the squared portlonbearing against the bot' tom wall of the groove, a pin through the squared portion projecting into the-kcurve'd slots in the segment block, and` valve meansl for automatically admitting air to the inner ends-'of the cylinders.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto se this 14 day of October 1908.

GEORGE HENRY LANGTON. In presence of- G. T. HACKLEY, FRANK L. A. GRAHAM. 

